


Progeny

by WTFIsSheOn



Series: Life After Fear [2]
Category: Split (2016)
Genre: Character Study, Comfort Reading, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, One Shot, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23723950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WTFIsSheOn/pseuds/WTFIsSheOn
Summary: Despite their precautions, Casey and Kevin's little family is about to grow by one. How do two people that had their childhoods stolen from them provide one for another?Also, Dennis is a wreck. Poor Dennis.
Relationships: Barry/Casey Cooke, Casey Cooke/Dennis, Casey Cooke/Kevin Wendell Crumb, The Beast/Casey Cooke
Series: Life After Fear [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732423
Comments: 24
Kudos: 112





	Progeny

**Author's Note:**

> Another effort in breaking the monotony of quarantine! 
> 
> This is saccharine even for me, I mean really, but it was coming so much easier than the other stuff I've been working on lately, and I always take that as a sign that it's a story that wants to be written. You could definitely say I'm jumping ahead pretty far in the story line for this, but I don't think it's a secret that I've always planned for Turning Traitor to ultimately have a happy ending, so why not explore what that means for a little bit? 
> 
> That being said I'm not a big fan of kids, so this is probably going to remain a one shot in the truest sense of the word unless the muses strike again. We'll see.

The front door swung open with such force that Barry couldn’t help but jump in his seat in front of the sewing machine, and the delicate seam he was diligently working on ripped apart in his hands. He exhaled with frustration, though it only took a moment for him to get it together. Ears pricking, he listened to footsteps quickly make their way through the hallway and up the stairs. There was only one person it could be, but he called out anyway. “Is that you, babe?”

There was no response, and it was unlike Casey to come home and not announce herself. Frowning, Barry stood up and stretched with more languidness than he actually felt before making his way after her.

At the top of the stairs he could hear pacing and mutters beyond the bathroom door, and he knocked gently rather than barge in “like an ogre or something”, as Casey had chastised him for in the past. “Babygirl, ya alright?”

“Uh…I'm not sure.”

“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m not sure how to interpret that. Should I be worried?”

“Just give me a few seconds, Bear. Wait out there.”

“What are we waiting for?”

“Barry!”

 _That_ was the tone that she always used when she was completely uninterested in further discussion, so Barry fell back unceremoniously against the bathroom door, sliding down with a groan of protest. He would listen, but he’d make sure she knew he wasn’t happy about it, damn it.

After what felt like an intolerably long time, Casey cracked the door open and Barry jumped to his feet, hands reaching out for her when he saw how pale she was. “Ok, now ya gotta tell me what’s going on. You look paler than I do in a snowstorm.”

She ignored him, trembling slightly. "Where's Kevin?"

"What do ya mean?" Barry's face twisted into a puzzled smile. "He's right here, where he always is."

"Yeah, I know, I..." Pacing up and down the little hallway, she had something held tightly in her fist, and Barry's eyes were immediately drawn to it. "Can you go get him please?"

Alarm was beginning to churn his stomach, his mouth turned ashy. "What are ya holding? Please at least tell me that you're safe."

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh. Oh my god.”

“Yeah.”

“I…wow. I just….” His mouth worked silently, no sound coming out, those two words taking up the entirety of his existence. Barry was rarely at a loss for words, so Casey couldn’t decide if this was a positive reaction or just terrible.

“Bear?”

“Yeah babe, I…” Dumbfoundedly, he placed a gentle hand over her stomach, blinking repeatedly before a smile nearly split his face in half. Picking her up while minding the bit of life growing inside, he spun her around, laughing. “Doll, that is incredible! I never thought we'd get one of our own! Look at that, good things do happen to bad people!"

Casey laughed gently, pushing back on his chest and trying to wiggle out of his arms. "This is going to be a mess. The Others are probably going to be mortified. "

“Are ya kidding? This kid is going to have multiple amazing parents. We’ll figure it out, Google that shit or something- 'Raising a Child With D.I.D'. Somebody’s gotta have figured it out by now.”

“Dennis is going to lose his mind. This child is going to be under house arrest 24/7.”

Barry blew raspberries into the air, dismissing her concerns with a wave of his hands. “You worry about taking care of yourself and the baby. Dennis will sort himself out. So, tell me..." the playful energy vibrating from his body abruptly abated, although his eyes were still shining. "When _are_ ya gonna break it to the Others?"

* * *

Despite living with twenty five others, there was a hierarchy when it came down to informing everyone of this new development. Of course, Kevin needed to be told immediately, and in fact would have been the first to know if the stress hadn't so overwhelmed Casey that she just blurted it out to Barry.

Still, what was done was done, and much to her relief, Kevin broke down into the happiest tears she'd ever seen him cry. He got down on his knees and pressed kisses to her stomach, and it was so stereotypical Casey would have rolled her eyes if she didn't know just what he was thinking: _I get another chance at having a family_. She knew, because she couldn't stop repeating the same thing to herself.

Of her partners, that just left Dennis. She wasn't afraid of his reaction per se, knowing he would never do anything to endanger or hurt her. It was more a dull worry that settled in her gut, the idea that instead of being a moment of joy for him, it would lead to other avenues of suffering. Frankly, presenting a child to someone who allowed fear to rule his life might finally be the the thing to break him. Barry offered to stick around and help deal with any potential fallout, but Casey declined; giving Dennis this bit of privacy was the least she could do.

When she told him, he blinked a few times, slowly, before grabbing a piece of paper and pen and sitting down at the kitchen table. “I was afraid of something like this." His voice remained even and flat, as though they were talking about filing their taxes together. "Nothing else about us works the way it should, why would birth control be any different?”

This was not the reaction she expected, but supposed it could have been much worse. Still, it chafed at her.

“Jesus, maybe I just fucked up the timing of the pills one day. I wasn’t expecting you to jump for joy, but I also wasn’t expecting you to be…what, insulted?”

God, what a pain in the ass. What boorish, stupid, sexy pain in the ass.

“No, I’m sorry, that’s not…” He closed his eyes and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, trying to mentally reset himself. “Look, we need to make a list of all the times you’ve…been with one of us. Name, date, preferably the exact time of the day….”

“What the hell? What in god’s name for?”

Standing up a bit more unsteadily than usual, Dennis leaned against the table, overwhelmed. “We don’t know how any of this works. What if…I mean, our DNA all has to differ slightly, right? Orwell and I need glasses, Jade needs her insulin shots, Hedwig hasn’t even hit puberty! What if the one who impregnated you determines what this child is going to have to live with?”

Saying it out loud seemed to make it real, and Casey watched the color drain from his face. “What if I pass on my OCD? What if they get Barry’s irritating optimism and lack of common sense? This could be terrible!”

Walking around to the other side of the table, Casey took his hands in hers, admiring the callouses that belied all of his hard work, screamed of his devotion to her and to the System. " _Or_ they could have Jade's wit, or Orwell's curiosity, or Barry's charm." She inclined her neck to plant a kiss on his lips. "Or your discipline. However they turn out, they're going to be wonderful, because you're going to be there to guide them." 

Dennis swallowed thickly and looked away, unable to meet her gaze, but still nodded his head. They could do this.

They had no choice.

* * *

Kevin romped about the nursery with a paintbrush in hand, his hips shaking to a song only he could hear. Casey watched with delight from the doorway, pulling at Barry's old work clothes that kept insisting on sliding off of her thin frame. She and Kevin had been painting on and off all afternoon, and the both of them still seemed to be as full of energy as when they started that morning. Kevin possessed neither the graceful dancing prowess of Barry or Jade, nor was he self conscious enough to care; the only thing that spoke to him was his complete and utter joy at the circumstance he found himself in. There were bits and pieces of Hedwig in his movements, a pale ghost of innocence lost long ago. And when he turned to see Casey staring, he smiled and held out a hand. How could she resist?

The soon-to-be parents danced about each other, Casey only a little more surefooted then he, but they were more interested in having fun than looking good. Their movements were more informed by trying to avoid spilling paint than anything else, but despite their caution, soon there were splatter marks dotting the protective covering Dennis had insisted on laying down, turning it's surface into a work of modern art that rivaled anything hanging at the MoMA.

The minutes passed and eventually they wore themselves out, collapsing to the ground. Rolling over, Casey curled up against Kevin's chest and observed all of their hard work as he ran his fingers through her hair. It was all coming along nicely, she had to admit. When finished, there would be a Lion King mural spanning the length of three walls, but for now just the base layers of paint had been laid down. Initially the couple wanted to go with a purple and yellow scheme, that was until Barry snidely asked if they were expecting a bunny or a baby (it was quite...pastel, Casey had to admit). _Dennis_ had claimed he didn't know why white walls wouldn't suffice, but had whistled to himself the entire trip to and from Lowe's to pick up supplies. After much debate (and endless input from Hedwig) they had finally decided on going with lighter shades of blue and orange, pleasing colors for a child of any gender, age, or temperament.

Satisfied, Casey looped her arms around Kevin's neck, nestling up under his chin. Despite her excess of energy, she was suddenly more than content to lay there with him for the rest of the afternoon. "I think a nap is starting to sound good right about now."

With all the reverence of someone encountering the sacred, Kevin's hands slid down her stomach, which announced to the rest of world what they already knew: their devotion to each other was now knit in blood and bone. He stroked the slight bump there fondly before bringing his hands back up to cup her cheeks. "We'll do whatever you want, Case. Maybe you can go lie down while I clean up in here."

"I'm not going anywhere without you, sir. That kind of defeats the purpose."

Kevin smiled as tears started to trickle down his face, and Casey wiped them away fondly. "You're more hormonal than I am."

"I know, I feel silly, it's just-"

"Don't." Casey grabbed his hands, the paint on his palms tacky against her skin. "Don't feel silly. Seeing you happy makes me happy."

Kevin choked back a response, unable to form the words that wanted to be said. As far as Casey was concerned, his tears said it all.

* * *

"So this article right here says that touch is good for the baby."

Casey looked up from her laptop over at Barry, still engaged in the game she was playing. "Ok, and....? Is that a not-so subtle hint at something, Mr. Crumb? Are you feeling neglected?"

He stood up, devious look in his eyes, and Casey quickly realized she misread the situation to her detriment. Casually walking over, he collapsed onto the sofa besides her and she scooted away, prompting a chuckle from her partner. "What are ya so jumpy about? Just want to do my part for our baby. Relax."

His posture told her she should do anything but "relax", and so when he moved to grab her she was able to avoid his hands. "I recognize that look anywhere, Bear Bear."

"Oh?" His grin was wicked, and she knew her fate was sealed. "Please, enlighten me."

"It's the look you get when you're about to be a giant goober."

He threw back his head and laughed as she tried to take the opportunity to move seats again, but this time he caught her and she fell back against him with a yelp. Of course she was hopelessly outmatched and could do nothing as he pinned her to his side with one arm, tickling her baby bump gently. "Look at you, taking one for the team," he teased, and Casey smacked at his hands, gasping and laughing.

After a few seconds he relented, not wishing to overdo it. He pulled Casey over a bit further onto his lap, his breath warm on her neck. "God, I love listening to ya laugh babygirl, it's pure eargasm."

"Eargasm, huh?" Casey twisted around to stick the tip of a fingernail inside his ear and wiggled. "I think I gotta have me one of those, sounds intense."

Barry bat her hand away, laughing, before reaching down to tickle her again. "Gotta wait your turn, I'm not done yet."

Casey treasured these moments of normalcy, bottled them up like a child chasing lightening bugs on a warm summer's evening. Between the morning sickness and the changes to her body, sometimes it felt good to remember that she was still human and not some weird, fleshy incubator. And in the spirit of that humanity, she chose to play dirty, reaching over to twist one of his nipples, hard. "Just you wait until this kid is out of me, you're going to be in so much trouble!"

"He's in trouble _now_." 

Barry suddenly released her and straightened his back as Dennis emerged, furrowed brow indicating he was not at all amused. "What the hell are you doing? Do you _want_ to induce labor, Barry?" He spoke slowly, stress making his accent thicker as he checked Casey for signs that something was wrong.

Casey shook her head, looking up at Dennis with warm eyes. "It's ok, Dennis."

"It's NOT ok."

"Touch _is_ good for the baby," she tried to soothe, trying desperately to get ahead of any arguments. "I think it's pretty well documented."

Barry winked slyly, clearly unaffected by the protests. "Seriously, you'd think he would read a book or something."

Dennis was in no mood for joking around. "I've read a book, Barry, I've read three of them the past week. Unlike you, I'm actually taking this pregnancy seriously."

For a moment Barry sat in stunned silence. "Wow. Just, wow," he managed to choke out. "Why don't ya do us all a favor, take your books and shove 'em-"

"Bear!"

The amount of venom in his voice was shocking to Casey; perhaps he was feeling the strain of parenthood more than he had been letting on, but regardless her brain worked overtime to come up with a way to reinstate the peace. "You know Dennis means well. And Dennis, Barry is nothing but careful with me, _not_ that I'm made of glass. Really, it's fine."

The men both fell silent and Casey held her breath, waiting anxiously. The laughter had bled out of the room and left a void in its wake, and Casey realized she was witnessing a preview of what was most likely many arguments to come over the next eighteen years. It was hard enough for two people to make parenting decisions, this threatened to be an outright fiesta. And while Dennis and Barry were no strangers to picking at each other, it was now veering into heated territory that Casey wanted to avoid.

Barry, per usual, read her mood correctly and relented as he rubbed his eyes in irritation. "Yeah...yeah, you're right. I'm just gonna skedaddle back to my chair, then. Good luck with the Fun Sponge." He blatantly omitted any sort of peace offering to Dennis, scowling a hot minute before giving up the light.

"That stupid, inconsiderate..." Dennis stood up and began pacing, fingers clenching in on themselves. "If you had fallen, or...or... jerked away too hard, who knows what could have happened."

Casey lay a warm hand on Dennis's forearm, wishing he would relax. "If I wanted him to stop, I would have said something. I'm five months pregnant, not on death's door!" Her nose twitched in amusement as another memory suddenly surfaced. "I'm just glad you weren't here when Hedwig was bouncing his little rubber ball against my stomach."

"Hedwig did WHAT?!"

For a moment it seemed that Dennis might just implode, but before he could say anything else, a fluttering in Casey's stomach caused her to gasp, and she clutched at her body in wonder. It was the most alien sensation, but she knew without a doubt that it was little feet kicking up a storm inside of her. Before Dennis could interpret it as something gone desperately wrong, she took one of his hands and placed it where she felt the movement the strongest. Pure joy rushed through her as she watched his eyes widen in recognition. "See? The baby is more than fine."

Dennis inclined his head. "You know why I worry, don't you? If anything happened to you or the baby..." He rubbed her stomach affectionately, still overwhelmed, still at war with his thoughts.

"It won't, I promise. If anyone deserves this, it's us. You'll see." For a moment she struggled to sit up, and he held out an arm so she could regain her balance against him. She placed a heartfelt kiss on his cheek before heading for the bathroom. "Really Dennis, the only danger Barry poses is making me pee myself. This kid will not let up on my bladder."

Behind her, Dennis let out a strangled groan of unadulterated horror.

* * *

The labor was a hard one. While they hired the services of a well known local midwife under the auspice of wanting a “natural birth”, Casey would have much rather had the relative comfort, and more importantly, pain relievers, of a hospital.

The Others did what they could to make her comfortable throughout the process: Hedwig and Ansel played board games with her to help pass the time. Norma had homemade broths at the ready, while Patricia brewed teas and lit lavender candles for calm. Kevin rubbed her feet with rose essential oils, and when he tired, Barry took over, massaging her neck, her shoulders, lower back-anywhere that could bring even slight relief.

Eventually the pain intensified, and with it Casey’s irritation. She lobbed all sorts of insults and curses at Barry, who endured them steadfastly while continuing his touch therapy. “I know, we’re the worst, we have cooties and when this is all over, you can flay us alive with a nail filer, ok? You’ve got this babygirl, and we’re not going anywhere, no matter how much ya hate us right now.”

"Fuck you, Barry."

"I know." He swept her hair away from her neck and brought a cool washcloth to the heated skin there. Casey sobbed through another contraction and the midwife, an older woman named Julie, looked up at the couple. Barry tried to smile. "How's it looking down there?"

"So far so good. You're doing an amazing job Casey, keep pushing. Kevin, help her keep up her breathing, I need to retrieve my delivery bag. It won't be much longer now."

Barry nodded dutifully and for a while the pair were left alone, the only sounds in the room Casey's breathing and gasps of pain. "I love you Bear," she choked out, the agony of the contractions making her loopy. "I didn't mean anything by what I said."

"Shhhh, I know, babygirl, I know. I love ya too. Don't mind me now, just focus. All that matters is you and the baby."

Trying to remain a soothing presence for as long as he could, Barry eventually gave in to exhaustion. While in the beginning stages of labor Casey would doze, Kevin’s body had gotten no sleep whatsoever, and they were reaching the twenty four hour mark. Casey couldn't blame him in the least for succumbing to sleep, not even when it became apparent that someone else wished to visit her. She could feel and hear the cracking of bones at her back, a grunt of ecstasy and agony as Kevin’s crystal blue eyes turned white and hazy with cataracts. In the absence of modern medicine, a god was manifesting.

He listened for a moment to Casey’s panting and cursing before reaching for her hand with as much tenderness as he ever had. “Would that I could take this pain for you,” he rumbled, and she looked up at him, hair slicked to her forehead from sweat and cold compresses. “Be strong, it’s almost over.”

“I’m scared,” she admitted, squeezing his hand in return, and her grip felt so weak that he couldn’t help but frown.

“You have survived so much worse, and now I am with you. We are all with you. You will overcome this, I swear it on Our lives.” Cocking his head, his harsh features softened with a kind smile, so alien to his face. "I can hear her heartbeat, and she is magnificent."

"She?"

Julie's footsteps could be heard fast approaching, and just as quickly as he appeared, he receded, allowing Dennis to take his place. By this point, he was now the only other alter strong enough to hold on, used to long, weary days without rest. He pulled her palm up to his mouth, kissing it softly. “You gave Barry quite an earful. Am I also to be skinned, or do you have something more devious in mind for me?”

"It hurts, Dennis. When they call it a 'ring of fire', they aren't...." she gasped as another contraction came. "They aren't kidding."

He wanted to cry, heart breaking at her suffering, but at least he could finally be of use; he understood the agony of a body being torn apart. "I need you to breathe with me, alright? For a while it's going to feel like you're drowning in the pain, but there's going to be moments of relief. When they come, find solace in them. Find solace in me."

Julie stepped back into the room, arms full of heated towels, and took one look at Casey and rushed over. "The baby is crowning! Casey, you're doing amazing. Just a little bit longer, sweetheart."

"Breathe," Dennis repeated, unsure if he was still talking to Casey or to himself.

* * *

Layla. The child was named Layla, and she was born as healthy and happy as a baby could be. Kevin spent hours staring at her, disbelieving that something so precious could be a part of him. While Casey fell in and out of sleep, he kept unswaddling the infant and counting her tiny fingers and toes, just to be sure they were still there until Patricia chased him away and wrapped the baby up tight again. _You're exhausted, dove,_ she whispered to Kevin. _Go sleep. This little lamb needs her sleep as well._

The next few months flew by like a dream. Hedwig, initially excited to meet his little sister like he would be a puppy, declared her an "alien" at first sight and claimed that she smelled worse than his socks. Mary Reynolds let out a horrified tut and dragged a protesting Hedwig from the light, but Casey laughed and laughed before reaching out to change the baby.

Dennis had baby proofed the house three separate times, and while disposing of vomit and dirty diapers horrified him, he refused to allow anyone else to do so, declaring it would never be done "good enough". His complaints never stopped him from from spending all of his free time in the light holding her close, loathe to ever let her go, even for feeding.

Barry drew endlessly, by the end of month three he had more sketchbooks full of her portraits than they had photos. When he wasn't drawing, he was designing little outfits, the joy of which made the bubbly alter nearly explode with delight. They would spend hours in the nursery together as he watched her grow and discover all of the things he loved about the world: shape, color, the sensation of fabric against one's skin. He would show her various scraps of sewing material, let her hold them and twist them with chubby hands, and as satisfying as it all was, it paled in comparison to her favorite activity: an old classic.

On day, he had taken muslin and draped it over his head, covering his face before tearing it off with a dramatic flourish. “Boo!”

The baby shrieked in laughter, her little body trembling with the force of her mirth. The reaction was so strong and unexpected that Barry burst out laughing himself. He repeated it again and again, soliciting more giggles and screams of delight until both father and daughter were left breathless. Casey walked in on the scene to find Barry boneless on the floor, color tinting his cheeks as he lay there panting.

“This kid is something else,” he managed to get out in between gasps of air, and Layla grabbed a little fistful of his hair and pulled. "Owww, watch it munchkin, ya have quite the grip there." His face contorted into a grimace, which Layla found just as funny.

If it was possible to pack more joy into one moment, Casey wasn't sure how.

* * *

"No no, now, listen here."

Casey looked up from her book to see a very frazzled Orwell carry Layla into their living room and set her down gently on the ground and then proceed to pull out his phone. Pushing a button, a recording of his voice began to play over and over: _docendo discimus, docendo discimus_.Layla paid him or the recording no mind, instead reaching for her stuffed Simba that was laying by Casey's feet.

Orwell glanced at Casey, exasperated, before moving to get Layla her toy. "Samuel and I have spent the better part of the last fifty minutes trying to get her to repeat this, to no avail."

Casey tried not to roll her eyes. "What on earth for?"

"Did you know that reportedly, Michael Dukakis's first words were ' _monos mou'?_ Greek! Truly, truly remarkable."

"Who?" Casey craned her neck to look over the arm of the sofa and keep an eye on Layla, who was currently pounding Simba's head into the ground. 

"And George Orwell, _his_ first word was 'Beastly', can you believe that? Now that I think of it, perhaps that would be good for a laugh or two, but rather vacuous in our case, wouldn't you say, Layla?"

Layla blew bubbles in response and Casey was afraid that if Orwell was expecting miracles from the six month old, then they would be there all day. "Orwell, I don't think _I_ could pronounce that correctly. Why don't you start with something simpler, and in English?"

"'Docendo discimus', Casey, it means that 'while teaching, we learn'. I do believe that any offspring of Kevin should begin her phase of oral proficiency with something remarkable, don't you?"

"That's fine, but I'm pretty sure most babies don't start talking until nine months, minimum."

"Well, _maybe_ if Samuel spent more time trying to help me instruct Layla and less time nitpicking at my methods..." The intense gaze Orwell fixed her with immediately relaxed, and a charming smile took its place.

"Hey Casey."

"Samuel, hello!"

"What Samuel has been _trying_ to do is explain to Orwell that babies don't talk this young, but..." Samuel shrugged, his meaning clear: _You know Orwell._ "His words are going in one ear and out of the other."

Orwell sputtered, indignant. "Little Layla is the product of two highly extraordinary parents, one of which is comprised of _many_ personalities who excel at _many_ things. Why shouldn't we strive for excellence?"

Layla babbled as if in agreement, and Samuel made a goofy face, causing her to laugh and kick out her feet. Orwell just sighed, clearly outnumbered. After adjusting his glasses, he leaned down to scoop Layla up again. "Back to _Baby Einstein_ , I suppose." 

"That's what Samuel's been saying for the past hour!" Samuel interjected, and one of them pressed a kiss to Layla's nose as they carried her out of the room, arguing the whole way. With a contented sigh, Casey took a moment to feel sorry for any new mother that didn't have multiple nannies at their beck and call.

* * *

Whether or not Kevin was born a super human or if he had just been willed into one by Patricia’s belief in the Beast had often been a subject of debate between Casey and Orwell. One evening, they both got their answer.

Layla had crawled over to the table Barry was resting his feet on, and with one fluid motion toppled it over on its side as he jumped up in surprise. Casey came running only to see Barry huddled on the couch and Layla happily sucking on her fist. Thank god, everyone looked ok. She turned an annoyed eye to Barry. "Bear, why are you flipping our furniture?"

"I'm not." He gulped slowly, his smile strained. "So what chapter of _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ covers your baby crawling around and trashing the house?"

The joke fell flat, and Casey covered her mouth in shock. While not exactly demonstrating superhuman levels of strength, it was certainly strong enough for a six month old baby. "Are you sure the table wasn't off balance? Or maybe...I don't know, were you pushing on it, Barry?" She turned again to look at her partner, but saw Patricia there instead, tears streaming down her face. 

"Oh little lamb, you truly are your father's daughter." She turned to wave Casey away. "Don't worry about the bit of mess, dove, I'll take care of it. I just wish to bask in His greatness made flesh. I feared that perhaps she was not chosen to carry on his legacy, but I see my faith has been rewarded! Rejoice, Casey."

"Patricia, she's my daughter, not the Alchemist's Stone."

"Of course not, she is so much more special than any stone. She is the Progeny of the Savior, the One who will stamp out all oppressors of the weak and the broken!"

Casey rolled her eyes, tired and unable to take Patricia seriously. “No stamping out oppression until she’s eighteen!”

Scowling over her shoulder, Patricia made a face back at Casey before gazing down at Layla with devotion. “And you will rule the world,” she added quickly, trying to get in the last word before Casey could protest. Then, her shoulders rolled back in a brief stretch and Barry reached for his little girl, tucking her close to his chest.

"I swear, I let down my guard for one moment and Trish is kicking me out of the light without a second thought. What was she going on about?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Layla is going to bust heads, eat some hearts and so forth."

It wasn't a surprise, but Barry still bristled. "Over my dead body! I will bust heads myself if I have to."

Casey rubbed against his side and kissed him, taking pleasure in the fact that he smelled so deliciously...Barry. None of that sage and sea salt shit that always wafted from Patricia. "Oh, I like this side of you, Papa Bear. You should show your teeth more often."

He growled playfully, wiggling his brows before lifting Layla up above his head and blowing kisses at the giggling baby. "I think it's time for a nap, little Miss. I've got to borrow your mama and blow her mind some more." He turned to Casey and made an obscene gesture with his tongue, practically laughing as she turned red.

"Barry!"

"Oh please, it's not like she understands. And what, ya telling me ya don't want to?"

Casey only hesitated a beat. "I'll...be in bed when you're ready." 

She bounded for their bedroom at record speed, and Barry grinned at a yawning Layla, pleased. "And that, my sweet, sweet baby girl, is how your daddy gets things done." He turned to head for her nursery, picking up a few toys along the way. "Now how about that nap?"

Layla babbled, grabbing his nose.

"Aight, but just _one_ lullaby, I got a date with your mom if ya hadn't heard."

* * *

It wasn't cries that woke her up, no, the baby was a dream and rarely kept them up at night. What woke Casey was reaching out to Kevin's side of the bed in a hypnagogic half state and finding it cool and empty. Missing the warmth of a body pressed against her own, she pulled on a robe and padded out to the Layla's room, having little doubt that's where she would find her missing partner.

Dennis was in the light, it was easy enough to tell by his rigid posture in the rocking chair. Layla was in her crib, sleeping peacefully, but Dennis had been having obsessive bouts of needing to watch her sleep. There had been a news segment on sudden baby death syndrome earlier in the week, convincing the poor man that the very worst would happen to his baby in retaliation for having once stolen away the babies of others. On more then one night, after putting Layla down, he would sob in Casey's arms, utterly devastated as the shame and grief broke over him like a tidal wave. Always haunted by his choices, the reality of fatherhood had impressed the awful memories that much deeper. Casey feared that one day he would die trying to right the wrongs of those fateful months in the Beast's service, and secretly hoped that little Layla would be the tether that kept him from acting suicidal.

Walking over to the crib, Casey gently wound up the bright purple and yellow mobile that Jade had picked out, little lions and tigers dancing circles around their baby, hoping the melody might soothe Dennis. When she turned to look at him, he acknowledged her with a slight smile before holding his arms out in invitation. 

"What are you doing up?" he asked, voice thick with sleep, so it appeared he hadn't been away from bed for long. She padded over to him, curling up on his lap with a groan; even after six months, her post birth body ached in ways she wasn't used to.

"I could ask you the same thing. Are you worrying?"

"No. Hedwig woke us up, wanted to play with Layla. Told him it was too early in the morning and he got to pouting."

"Is he trying to steal the light?"

"Barry's watching him, not too happy about it either."

They sat in silence for a moment before Dennis sighed, heavy with sorrow. "It's been hard for him, you know? Once Kevin, Barry, and I started growing up, things changed. I mean, they had to, but it still wasn't fair to the kid." 

Casey hummed her agreement. "It's been hard for all of you."

"Sure, but I can't pretend I haven't been worried about how he would take all of this. But I do think having a little sister around is doing him some good. Hell, maybe she'll even teach him a new word."

Casey laughed, more of an exhale than a chuckle, and Dennis kissed her one more time before standing up, his fingers brushing her stomach tenderly. "I'm gonna go sterilize the pacifiers."

"Now?"

"I'll be fifteen minutes, tops, I promise." His face held no emotion, but Casey could tell he needed some alone time, however brief it might be. She left him to his task, and he walked over to the crib, touching his baby's cheek with the utmost gentleness. Briefly, he thought back on his lonely nightmare of a life-blood and shit and broken bones as far back as his memory could take him. Not even a life, just a parody of one, a struggle to understand what they had done to deserve their existence.

But what was this tiny person sleeping in front of him? Just as Kevin long ago, a piece of himself had broken away and found itself being nurtured inside of his one and only love. The little personality that had formed apart from him was so beautiful and pure he almost had a hard time believing it was his blood that ran through her body. The gift Casey had given him, given all of them, was obvious: there was finally a piece of themselves that would grow up free from abuse and fear; his meaning in the ashes of his pain. _Free_. There was once again a little Crumb in the world that would know what it was to be wanted, adored.

Imagine that.

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus scene: Dennis having a low key meltdown over being spit up on and...Barry reacting as Barry does.
> 
> Hopefully this all rang true enough for the characters. I find the idea of multiple parents in one body, all with their own parenting styles, opinions, and beliefs, to be super interesting and there's probably ten million ways this could have gone. If you have your own ideas, I would absolutely love to hear them because my inner raging fangirl knows no bounds or exhaustion.


End file.
